A Beautiful Girl Confessed Her Love to Me as a Punishment Game, but After We Started Dating, She Started Getting More and More Obsessive - Chapter 13

I like romantic comedies that were popular some time ago, so I’ve always had a slight admiration for club activities. But in reality, I’m part of the “going-home club.”

I don’t have any particular interests, and I’m not into sports. The whole athletic club scene, with its strict hierarchy, kind of intimidates me. So naturally, I lean toward cultural clubs, but I can’t draw, play instruments, sing, or act in front of people. I don’t feel like spending my afternoons taking extra English or science lessons either, so I’m left with no options.

If I had to choose, I thought about the literature club since I like light novels. But when I saw they were serious about haiku and classical literature, like a self-study group for Japanese, I realized it wasn’t for me, so I didn’t join.

So in the end, I became a part of the “going-home club.” Still, sometimes I wonder if I had joined a club, would I have made more friends? Maybe I would’ve gone on trips with the club and bonded with people through those experiences. There’s a bit of regret there. I know it’s a tough situation, even for myself.

But setting that aside…

Since I’m in the “going-home club” and prefer staying indoors, I’m usually at home on the weekends. But today, I found out that there are surprisingly many people around, even on a Sunday.

You could hear the rhythmic shouts of the sports clubs running in groups on the field, and from the school building, there were sounds of brass instruments—probably the brass band club.

I’ve always admired the idea of hanging out with friends on weekends, but dedicating yourself to club activities like this seems great too, and I can’t help but feel a bit envious.

Of course, it’s just a thought. If I actually tried it, I’m sure I’d quit after one day, unable to handle the intensity.

Feeling some resentment toward my peers, who seem to be enjoying their youth, I checked the clock on the school building. It was 7:40 AM. There was still about an hour and a half before I was supposed to meet Kiryu.

I sat down somewhere within the area where Kiryu would be able to spot me when she arrived.

Even though it was still early, the wind was already warm, making it a little hot.

As I sat there, vaguely listening to the sounds of people engrossed in their club activities, I watched the clouds drift by.

While staring at the sky, a sharp-looking guy appeared in my line of sight.

“About Kirino…”

“Fujisaki?”

When I called out Fujisaki’s name after he trailed off, his expression became openly annoyed.

It was an awkward situation, but since he was staring at me so intently, I couldn’t just ignore him, could I?

“Uh, who are you again?” he asked.

“Numata.”

“Oh. Well, whatever.”

He was the one who asked, but his attitude was a bit rude.

Fujisaki sat next to me, leaving about two seats between us, clearly in a bad mood.

“You realize Kirino didn’t pick you because she likes you, right?”

“Y-Yeah, I guess.”

“That’s right. Kirino doesn’t care about you. She doesn’t like you, but she doesn’t hate you either. She’s indifferent. That’s why she picked you. Your relationship with her won’t last long.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

I agreed with his words, which almost seemed like he was trying to convince himself. Fujisaki’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

“You might be acting tough, but deep down, you’re hoping for something, aren’t you? That maybe, somehow, you’ll matter to Kirino?”

“No, not really…”

“You don’t have to hide it.”

“No, um…that’s…I mean…never mind.”

“What?”

“It’s just that…”

The moment I said “never mind,” I knew I had made a mistake. Saying that made it clear that there *was* something. I’ve read light novels where characters mess up like this too.

“If you’ve got something to say, then say it.”

Of course, it had come to this. Once it reached this point, there was no way I could come up with a lie good enough to satisfy Fujisaki. I had no choice but to speak.

I swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and, with trembling lips, I began.

“…The one who had expectations was you, Fujisaki. When Date suggested that punishment game, you were the one waiting for something to happen. I wasn’t expecting anything, so I talked to Kiryu.”

If Fujisaki hadn’t been so nervous at that time and had just stepped in like he usually does, none of this would’ve happened.

Now he was blaming me, but honestly, it’s unfair.

My words must have struck a nerve because Fujisaki clenched his fist and slammed it against the bench’s edge.

I had expected to get hit for saying something like this, and I remembered Yasumura gripping me by the collar and shouting at me for something less. So, the fact that Fujisaki didn’t hit me was surprising in a way, like a bit of an anticlimax. I couldn’t help but feel relieved.

“I wasn’t talking about me.”

“Sorry.”

“Anyway, I came here to warn you. If you think Kirino has feelings for you, you’re going to end up hurt.”

“Y-Yeah, I get it. Thanks, Fujisaki.”

Even after saying that, Fujisaki didn’t leave. He sat there, clearly annoyed, tapping his foot against the ground.

No matter how much he tried to show how angry he was, I had no intention of doing anything reckless with Kiryu. I just planned to let things end naturally. So, I wished Fujisaki would just leave since I wasn’t going to give him any satisfying answers.

Being next to someone who was clearly irritated, even with some distance between us, was stressful.

After what felt like a long 20 minutes, the 8:00 bell rang.

At the same time, I saw a beautiful girl in the distance, standing out among the crowd.

Fujisaki’s eyes were glued to her. Everyone nearby was staring. It was Kiryu.

Kiryu jogged toward me.

She was wearing black tracksuit pants with a pink stripe, a short-sleeved shirt, a black inner layer, and a sun visor on her head.

It was a pretty plain outfit, not all that different from my own boring casual wear, but her amazing figure made it look like some undercover celebrity style.

“I thought I’d come early and get some studying done, but I didn’t expect you to beat me here, Numata.”

“Well, I woke up early.”

“I see. Since we’re both here, why don’t we study together?”

“Uh, sure…”

Honestly, I didn’t feel like studying at all since I had planned to hang out today. But there was no way I could sit next to an angry Fujisaki, and I didn’t have the courage to refuse Kiryu’s offer or suggest an alternative, so I followed her without question.

“Wait, Kirino…” Fujisaki tried to call her, but she either didn’t hear or chose to ignore him as she walked away.